Infected
by RottenSeahorse
Summary: The horrid, sad truth is, is that he is Infected...and he's never coming back... NickxEllis love


The painful screams seemed to leak through the walls. They echoed and jumped, and swam through every crack it could find. No matter how hard you tried to cover up your ears, you heard it. They all could hear the screams, and it would forever haunt their dreams until the end of time.

Nick was infected.

No one could believe it, but Coach, of all people, decided to stop floating in this puddle of denial and face facts. Nick was infected, and he wasn't coming back. No one seemed to answer to Coach's statement, not even Ellis. The hick was the most loyal friend to Nick.

If Nick happened to trip and stumble behind the group, with a large horde of infected zombies rushing toward them with bloodlust in their milky white eyes, Ellis would be there in a heartbeat, helping him up to his feet and letting the older man lean on him as they made their way to Ro' and Coach.

The team was camping in the almost homely house settled just behind the fast food restaurant they were supposed to be getting to.

Another scream echoed from the vacant room in front of them. There was a choked cry, and a thudding of a head (it maybe sounded like an arm or a leg) hitting the wall. Ellis seemed to tense up where he sat, and his knuckles turned white with anxiety.

Coach leaned against the wall that shared Nick's bedroom, and Rochelle held her hand to her mouth, her eyes brimming with hot tears. "Can't we jus' do somethin'?" Ellis asked, his voice pleading and filled with worry. Coach bit his lip absently, casting a glance at the door as yet another cracked yell emitted from behind the door.

"The only thing we can do is wait." He stated, his eyes never leaving the floor. He was right…right? He had to be, he was the oldest, he was practically in charge…but Ellis's gut gave a sickening lurch and he stood up abruptly. "Just…_wait_?" He hissed, his jaw clenching madly and his knuckles becoming snow white with fury.

Rochelle removed her hand from her mouth and was almost whimpering, and she stood up with him. "Honey, please don't do this. It'd be the best thing. What can we do?"

Ellis shot a stern and infuriating glare at Rochelle. "I sure don' know what _ya'll _can dew, but I wan' see Neek!" Rochelle suddenly grabbed his shoulder firmly, making Ellis wrench his arm violently from her grip and walking to the door. Coach stepped in front of his path, his face grim and distant. "Don't make it harder on yourself. Seeing him in there in the state he's in will only cause more pain. We don't need that."

Ellis felt hot fury burn through his body, and he about attacked the larger man in a blind rage, but he controlled his temper and gulped. "Jus' move." He whispered darkly. The man didn't budge. "I said tuh move." He stated again, his voice raising altitude. Rochelle moved in behind Ellis, her eyes foggy and full of pain. "El, sweety—"

"JUS' _LET ME SEE 'IM._" He shouted, and he heard the feeble screams cease from the bedroom. Coach stepped aside, watching Ellis coldly as he opened the door and shut it swiftly behind him.

The room was dark and the air was thick with despair. Ellis could only make out the silhouette of Nick's hunched and curled up body that lay in the middle of the bed. "Neek?" Ellis whimpered, moving over slowly to the bed's edge. Nick's rasping breath was concealed in the sheets, and his shoulders shuddered rapidly as he sobbed.

Ellis felt tears rush to his eyes in a waterfall. "Oh, Neek, please speak tuh me." Ellis begged, sitting himself against the bed sheet. Nick shifted on the bed, turning his head to Ellis. His eyes were glowing yellow, and his cheek swelled grotesquely on one side of his face. His hair seemed so thin, and he looked so afraid.

"Ellik." Nick breathed, sitting up on the bed. His arm was sickly pale and warts were starting to populate it. He gave out a gargling noise as Ellis sat fully on the bed. The hick started to realize despair wasn't the only thing making the air within the room thick and heavy. Smoke was streaming from his pores in small quantities.

"Scrred." Nick stated, his eyes gazing at Ellis. Before the younger hick could crawl up to the older man, Nick curled up with his back pointing to the ceiling and let out a painful sob and scream. His nails were digging angrily into his arms.

"Neek, p-please." Ellis sobbed, sliding his body over to where Nick sat huddled in the sheets. His arms went around the gambler's shoulders. "I'm right here, Neek." Ellis murmured next to Nick's ear (or what was left of it). Nick rubbed his face into the bed sheets and uncurled himself, sitting up straight. He looked over at Ellis, his one glowing yellow eye swimming with fear.

The fear was so strong, so fresh and full of strength.

"Be strong, Neek." Ellis said softly. Nick's whole body gave off a large shudder, and the man slumped against the hick's body as yet another minute of painful warts leaped up through his skin. Screams filled the room again, and Ellis felt himself almost scream too out of fear and guilt.

The hick's grip on the man's shoulders tightened as Nick's arm gave off gut-wrenching cracks. It began to lengthen. His tongue seemed to stretch just a couple of inches longer, lolling out of his mouth down to his chin. "Hllp." Nick gargled softly. His one yellow eye closed briefly.

Silence filled the room, until Ellis thought for sure Nick had died of exhaustion, or of the pain. His heart was racing, and his eyes produced so many tears it damped the top of Nick's head a great deal. "…Neek?"

The gambler let out a choked, wheezing breath and gripped the sheets tightly. "Kll me." Nick gasped. His voice was thick with mucus, and he tried to cough, but only choked on the cough and shuddered again.

"_NO!_" Ellis exclaimed, his grip tightening around the man's shoulders.

"I think Nick would want you to kill him…" Coach stated. He didn't even notice the door open and Coach stand there and watch them.

The hick glared angrily up at the older man, "A'course YEW would say that!" Coach stared grimly at Nick, and Ellis followed his gaze.

The look in Nick's eyes that moment made the younger man's heart give a painful lurch. Coach was right…it was for the best.

_Do it for Nick._ Ellis thought.

He felt a warm hand grasp his shoulder, and the cold steel head of the gun brush against his elbow. "It'd be best if you did it, kid…"

Ellis grabbed the gun angrily, not meeting Coach's gaze.

Ellis had asked for Coach and Rochelle to leave the room, to say his goodbyes to Nick himself. He wanted privacy from the others. He had some things to say.

He laid Nick's head delicately in his lap, rubbing his thumb through the man's slicked back and sweaty hair. "Yuh know, Neek, yew have no idea how much I liked yah. I had thah…biggest crush on'yah." He smiled, chuckled, and let a tear drop down onto Nick's forehead.

The gambler listened, trying to control his body from convulsing. "I wanted tuh tell yew, Neek, but somethin' in mah heart tol' me yew would reject me." Another tear landed on his forehead.

"I'm sorreh, Neek, I couldn't tell yew earlier…" Ellis broke down into retching sobs, clutching Nick's hair in his hands and clutching them for a moment. "Why dew yew gotta take thah good ones, Lord?" Ellis sobbed, lifting his head to the ceiling, "WHY?"

He stood up, softly moving Nick's head onto the pillow. He made his way to the door, and turned around to face the gambler. Nick stared back at him, his eyes full of understanding and love. Wait…_love?_ Ellis stared, but his hands put ammo into the bullets anyway and cocked the gun.

_There was love in his eyes… _The gun pointed at Nick.

Nick's lips curved up in a peaceful smile, and he let out the last words Ellis would hear from him, "Love…you…Ellls."

The gun went off.


End file.
